Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna Sings National Anthem at NFL Pre-Season Game

Like it or not, football season is almost here and for the diehards, it's already begun. The NFL pre-season is officially underway as of Wednesday night (Aug. 9) and the following night saw the Minnesota Vikings travel to Buffalo, N.Y. to take on the Bills. As always, the National Anthem preceded the game and Anthrax's Joey Belladonna had the honor of singing.

The game took place at the Bills' home stadium, New Era Park, in Orchard Field, N.Y. and, as the video below shows, was filled with a smattering of fans hoping to catch a sign that they Bills would finally be playoff bound this season. After an introduction from the stadium announcer, Belladonna took the mic, mostly keeping true to the original version of the National Anthem. He extended the "Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave" lyric, which was met with rousing applause, only to reach into his upper register on "home of the free" for a short bit. Well done, Joey!

Unfortunately for Bills fans, the Buffalo team was handed a loss in their first pre-season game as the Vikings bested them 17-10 with the Bills attempting a fourth quarter comeback, scoring their first touchdown of the game with 10 minutes left.

Earlier this year, Belladonna was singing an anthem of an entirely different kind during Anthrax's co-headlining run with Killswitch Engage. The cover of Dio's classic "Holy Diver" is a staple in Killswitch's set and Belladonna regularly joined them onstage as they honored the legacy of Ronnie James Dio together.